Out of the box, the MacBook notch is just a camera housing. macOS gives you no setting to change it: you can't add anything to it, and menu bar icons simply disappear behind it when there isn't enough room.
So "MacBook notch customization" really means one thing: install a notch app that turns that black block into something you control. Here's what you can actually customize, using Notch Space as the example.
1. What the notch shows when it's closed
Most of the day the notch stays collapsed. You still choose what lives there:
- System HUD flashes for volume, brightness, charging, downloads and your focus timer. See Mac System HUD.
- A pinned HUD: one status that stays visible without expanding. See Pinned Notch HUD.
- Now playing while music runs.
- A notch pet that naps, reacts to your day and gives gentle heads-ups. Optional, and surprisingly popular.
2. What opens when you expand it
Hover or click, and the notch opens into a panel. You decide which tools you use there:
- Clipboard history with categories
- A temp shelf for drag and drop
- Music controls and lyrics
- Todos, a pomodoro timer and system stats
3. What opens on its own
The nicest customization is behavior. Notch Space can open Clipboard when you copy, Shelf when you drag a file, and Music when playback starts. Turn on the ones you like and off the ones that feel noisy.
You can also pin the notch open while you work from it, so moving along the top edge doesn't close it by accident.
4. Which screens get a notch
The hardware notch only exists on the laptop panel. A notch app can put the island on external displays too: Auto (follow your cursor), every screen, or any mix. On Macs without a notch, it appears as a floating island at the top. See notch on every display and Dynamic Island without a notch.
5. Go further: Dock, widgets and layouts
If you want the notch to be the center of your setup:
- A custom Dock with live tiles, folder stacks and Dark Glass, Notch Black or Clear Glass styles. Turn it off and your macOS Dock comes back exactly as it was. See Notch Space 2.0.
- Desktop widgets you can place and size anywhere. See desktop widgets.
- One-click window layouts and saved workspaces. See workspace launcher.
What about hidden menu bar icons?
The notch hiding menu bar icons is a common complaint. A notch app doesn't move Apple's menu bar, but it can take over jobs those icons were doing (clipboard, shelf, timer, stats, music). Fewer icons means less gets pushed behind the notch.
Start customizing
Notch Space is a one-time purchase with a 7-day money-back guarantee, and it runs on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs (macOS Sonoma 14+). Get the lifetime license, or try it free first.